Sugar Bowl: Georgia-Notre Dame picks, predictions

The final College Football Playoff quarterfinal on the schedule could turn out to be the best. Notre Dame and Georgia meet in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, with the winner going to the Orange Bowl.

The Fighting Irish have won 11 straight games after beating Indiana in the first round and appear to have peaked at the right time. The Bulldogs face some questions despite winning the SEC title against Texas with starting quarterback Carson Beck out for the season. Gunner Stockton played well in relief for Beck in the loss to the Longhorns. But how will he perform against a defense as good as Notre Dame that has time to prepare for him? That remains to be seen.

Since both teams appear to have their strength in defense and lack explosive passing games, a defensive battle is looming. Who will prevail? Our experts give their tips.

Scooby Axson

The Irish will be missing their top pass rusher and Georgia will be without its starting quarterback. Notre Dame will need to hit the rock early and often to enable the passing game that the Bulldogs have been vulnerable to at times. Gunner Stockton’s first career start is in the spotlight, and a crucial turnover or special teams play will allow the Bulldogs to escape and advance to the next round. Georgia 26, Notre Dame 24.

Jordan Mendoza

How much of an impact does the loss of Carson Beck have on Georgia? Notre Dame will be hunting Gunner Stockton all night, against whom the Bulldogs have arguably the best defense they have faced all season. Georgia is unable to stop the Fighting Irish’s running game and prevail against a pro-Georgia crowd. Notre Dame 27, Georgia 23.

Paul Myerberg

The outlook would be different if Georgia had Carson Beck at center. Life will be much more difficult if backup Gunner Stockton can strike against perhaps the best defense in the field. Notre Dame can compete against Georgia and will need a flawless game from Riley Leonard to pull off a small upset. The Irish have what it takes. Notre Dame 24, Georgia 20.

Eric Smith

We’ve seen backup quarterbacks thrive in the College Football Playoff. The question is whether Gunner Stockton is the latest. A solid second-half performance against Texas in the SEC Championship Game is encouraging optimism. Notre Dame needs a breakthrough win in the postseason to cement its credibility. It will be a four-quarter battle that could lead to a kicker. Georgia 20, Notre Dame 17.

Eddie Timanus

In the College Football Playoff, you usually face Georgia at your own risk. With that in mind, however, we like Notre Dame’s chances due to its physical abilities on both sides of the ball and the fact that the Bulldogs will rely on inexperienced quarterback Gunner Stockton to make critical plays. Notre Dame 27, Georgia 13.

Dan clouds

With some time to prepare for Gunner Stockton, Notre Dame’s defense has an advantage against a quarterback who doesn’t have much experience under the bright lights. Maybe Georgia is good enough to overcome it, and maybe Stockton is a star in the making. But until they prove it on the field, it’s safer to view this version of Georgia as a downgrade from what they were at the start of the year. Notre Dame 23, Georgia 21.

Breaking News

Dellupodisabato

Leave a Reply Cancel reply